Shavonda Sisson knows firsthand how Milwaukee-area nonprofits are making a difference and how they're using NPC to make that possible. She joined NPC in July as Client Relations Associate, a new position at the organization. In the interview below, she answers some questions about what's available through NPC. If you have more questions, you can email her or give her a call at 414-344-3933 x124.

NPC: Why did NPC create the new Client Relations position?

Shavonda: When Rob came to NPC as the new CEO, he wanted to focus on members and member services, elevating them to a premier membership. We want an exceptional client experience not only for members but for everyone walking in our door.​Client relationships are about creating and expanding a positive experience, including our facilities and equipment and the website. Susanne Vella, who coordinates our workshops, shops for real food for our workshop attendees—not just breakfast bars—and she makes the coffee herself. It’s all about welcoming people and creating that positive experience.

NPC: What’s your experience working with nonprofits prior to coming to NPC?

Shavonda: I worked for another very small nonprofit, doing case management. I started with Public Allies Milwaukee—an AmeriCorps program—where they take young leaders and place them in nonprofits to learn about the nonprofit sector. It’s a 10-month program with paid internships.

NPC: What do you bring to this job that is unique?

Shavonda: I know a lot of people. I have a very big network of people who are in nonprofits around the city. Because I came through Public Allies—with 25 or 30 nonprofits involved in the leadership program every year—it’s a built-in network and it just gets bigger.

NPC: How do you create a positive client experience at NPC?

Shavonda: It’s about knowing my job as well as possible. It’s taking the extra step and knowing the services, recommending the best services to use. If someone is posting multiple jobs on Jobs That Serve, I can recommend a subscription to post more jobs less expensively. It’s just paying attention to what people need.

NPC: When should people call you?

Shavonda: If they have issues logging into their member accounts or there’s a problem with Jobs That Serve. I keep our database updated, too, so people should call me if they get a new job at their organization or if people have changed positions.

We have more than 1,300 staff memberships. If you work for an organization that is a current NPC member, you may be eligible to get a free staff membership and all the benefits that includes.

NPC: What do you wish more people knew about NPC?

Shavonda: I wish more people knew they could call us. We do customized training. We will come and do nonprofit training based on your needs. We wish that more staff members with member organizations knew what their member benefits are, including member discounts on our events, and access to use our resource library and select meeting rooms when they’re available.

Member nonprofits are also free to post to our volunteer board as well as our job board. We want to help organizations be strong and expand nonprofit skills and knowledge.

NPC is a place where the nonprofit community can come and learn. We offer training and support and connections to help newer nonprofits. And for more established nonprofits, we offer skills to stay current and valid and impactful.

And I do a weekly podcast,That’s What She Said, with Tracey Corder, a friend in Oakland, and we talk about pop culture and politics.

Amy Rabideau Silvers is a writer and communications specialist, who long worked with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She most loves stories about people and what's important to them, including people trying to make a difference through NPC.